Community pantries in Quezon City do not need to secure a permit to operate, Mayor Joy Belmonte said Wednesday.
“No, not at all. No permit is necessary,” Belmonte told ANC when asked if community pantries need to secure a permit from the Quezon City government.
Belmonte said permits are only necessary if an individual is selling something.
“But if she’s doing an act of goodwill, of compassion, of humanitarian activity. If she’s doing an act of kindness and of love that is something to emulate and to praise, that does not require any regulation from the government,” the mayor added.
On April 20, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said organizers of community pantries should “consult with the concerned barangays” on whether a permit is needed for them to operate.
Among Metro Manila mayors who have said that they won't require permits from community pantry organizers are Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian, and Caloocan City Mayor Oca Malapitan.